Lubricating system for gyroscopes and other apparatus



Oct. is, 192s. 1,687,632

C. M. PAXTON LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR GYRO'SCOPES AND OTHER APPARATUS rignal Filed Nv. 1 2, 1920` l un# l @51g @1MM/nag y struction of one of the parts shownin Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3, 3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of my invention adapted for use where the shaft extends entirely through the journal box.

In Figure 1 the invention is shown as emr l bodied in a gyro rotor unit. rlhe peripheral casing 1 is closed in by heads 2, 21 secured by screws 3, 3 formed with Vhousings 4,4, closed vby screw caps 5, 5, containing the roller bearing journal boxes. The casing 1 is provided with horizontal pivotal trunnion 6 about which the unit maybe rotated to permit of any desired inclination of the rotor shaft 7 with respect to the horizontal indicated by dotted line X-X- The rotor on shaft 7 and the motor for driving the same may be of any known or desired construction. Ordinarily, however, the rotor will be fairly heavy, say 8 to 17 lbs. and adapted t'o be rotated at fairly high speed, say 3,000 to 9,000 revolutions per minute; and the motive power will be a threephase induction motor havingrthe armature built in as part of the rotor and the'iield rigidly secured'to the casing.

"Within the housings 4, 4, and caps 5, 5, are located the shaft bearings, the parts inthe housing 4 and cap 5, at the left hand endfof the gyro casing beingpreferably similar in construction, and oppositely or symmetrically located with respect to those shown in section at the right hand end. `Whle the shaft bearing may be built into the housing, l prefer a separate journal box comprising a casing member 8 andra cover 9 secured thereto by screw threadslO, oil-tight packing being interposed, if desired. The, exterior periphery of the journal box is preferably circular tlittll s' 4bt *1^ 0* l' lto .it the iousing i u conveii Vngituc ina ly so as topeiinit forcing of a slight roching adjustment of the journal box, to align the bearing anis with the shaft axis, when the journal box is adjusted longitudinally. This is preferably accomplished by set screw 11 engaging a seat `12 centrally located on the journal box cover 9.4 Screw 11 is held in desired position of adjustment by lock nut 12. v n 'f f Interiorly the journal boX 8 is accurately machined to receive the outer band 13v offa roller bearingvunit of any known or desired construction. Suchunits are usually `purchasable in the market, with the y,box bearing ring 13, journal bearing ring 14 and balls '15, 15 already assembled, as shownv inthe drawing. The bearing bandy ltd-preferably lits the journal member 8 very accuratelyand the latter is preferably provided with alip 16 so that'when,bearingband V13 is force-fitted in position, itV will be rigidly held and the y y surfaces of contact-will be oil-tight. n v

rllhe journal bearing 14 is mounted von the end of shaft 7l preferably by being forceitted over a sleeve 17' which is in turn accurately coned t'ofitover a cone projection 18 and against a shoulder 19 formed on the end of shaft 7. f

rlhe interior of the journal boi; 8 and cover ,f

9,1is contoured so that'the interior of the bearing band 13 is in edect the peripheral bottoni of the cavity sothat when the oil 'is driven outward by centrifugal force, as here,

after described, theball race in r1-1 13 will packing such'as is commonly employed for such purposes. This -is accomplished by forming the journal box S, adjacent the inner openingthrough which shaftA 7 projects, with aicollecting'and draining groove 20. This is made large enough to hold the excessoil supply when the shaft 'Z is not spinning, and when the shaft is spinning, escape of oilis prevented by arranging on said rshaft if, preferably as an ii'itegral extension of luishing 17, a-:rotor 21, forined'with a surface 22 closely adjacent the/internal surface of t ie 'cavity in the journal box 8. The clearance between these LQuinta/ces, aspreferably the clearance between the end of the shaft 7 and the journal boxcover 9, is 'very small so that. any intervening layer of oil will be very thin, preferably not much more than a mere film, so that when the shaft is spinning at high speedthe rotating surfaces adhering to the oil will powerfully propel the latter outward, away from the shaft axis and the shaft opening in journal box 8, thus operating as a very effi ient centrifugal pump. So far as concerns the 'centriiugal pump effect at the end `face of shaft Qtliis is important only as malr-v v ing certain that thc last drop of.v oil inthe reservoir will be used up before the bearings can go dry. yThe similar action by rotor 21, however, 'is much more important, since it will be evident that where suiiicient oil is used to inorethanwet the surfaces, that is, suflicient 'to afford a desired reserve-supply, the

rollingfof lthe balls around the bearing sur-V faces at less thanV the peripheral speed of the pump rotor, will naturally tend to equalize theaperipheral speed of the oil and also to deflect-the oil laterally from under the balls and `out of the groove or ball race in which they roll. ln-suchcase the laterally driven oil will be continuously forced bach and held in the ball cavity by the centrifugal pumping action, and particularly such koil as atf teinpts to pass outward over thel rotor pump surface 22 will be'eifectively prevented from for the shaft inounted so as to, bev longitudinally adjustabley in said. support and oppositely directed axially aligned adjustingY screws engaging the opposite ends ofsaid bearing boxes, said parts being forined vWith oil ducts traversing` the adjusting' screws and tlieportion of the bearing bex with which the ends kof said screws are in Contact.

4. ln the combination specified by claiin 3 the further feature of screw closuresv for the outerends of said ducts.

v5. In the combination specified by claiin 3 the further feature of standpipe element through which said oil ductdischarges, projecting axially Within thebox'bearingcavity.

6. A. gyro rotor unit comprising" supporting ineans, rotor, shaft, end bearings, boxes for theish'aft mounted solas to be longitudinally adjustable in said support, and eppo sitely directed axially aligned adjusting screwsY engaging the opposite ends of said bearing boxes, said bearing boxes each bein provided with an interior oil reservoir cavity designed With reference to the rotating` parts so that the latter have a centrifugal pumping effect toniaintain excess cil in the peripheral Y portion of the cavity while the rotor shaft is spinning, regardless of the angular position of said shaft.

7. A gyro rotor unit comprising` rotor,

shaft, bearings, and a horizontally piveted casing in which said parts are mounted, said f bearings each including rollerbearings and a 4journal box affording an interior circular lu-v bricating cavity having an exterior opening of lesser diameter through Which the shaft ex-k tends ,together witha rot-or on said shaft concentric ivitli said cavity .operating as a centrifugal pump to force oil from the 9*.' Inftlie coinbination specified by claiin 7, c the further feature of having the rotor puinpingrgeleinent extend into operative pumping relation to oil collecting in said groote.

10. A. gyro unit comprising rotor'7 shaft andy bearings. `in combination with an enclosing` support for the bearings aording, with said bearings, an interior circular lubricating cav*- ityliaving an exterior opening of lesser diainetei through Whiclitlie shaft extends and 60 ball bearings between the shaft and support and a pump rotor on the shaft7 said shaft, bearings, ballsand pun'ip roter substantially fllingsaid lubricating cavity so that substantially all the oilin the cavity is maintained in a'periplieral ring of substantially equal radial thickness, around the yentire circuinference ofsaid cavity. 1

Signed at New York, kin the county of New York and State of New York'this 11th day of Noif'eniber, A. D. 19:20.

.oiiirronln M. `Pfixfroy. 

